Corner reflector for an armored vehicle

ABSTRACT

A corner reflector of an armored vehicle includes a housing having a look-in aperture of a subregion extending into a vehicle interior, a look-out aperture of a subregion extending out of the vehicle and at least one prism body or deflection mirrors disposed in the housing, to provide effective shielding against sources of electromagnetic interference. Providing the corner reflector on all sides with a shield made of electrically conductive material ensures that vehicles equipped therewith or individual electronic components thereof cannot be influenced or rendered unusable by sources of electromagnetic interference.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION

This is a Divisional of U.S. application Ser. No. 13/404,194, filed Feb.24, 2012; the application also claims the priority, under 35 U.S.C.§119, of European Patent Application EP 11 009 889.4, filed Dec. 15,2011; the prior applications are herewith incorporated by reference intheir entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a corner reflector for an armored vehicle,including a housing having a look-in aperture of a subregion extendinginto a vehicle interior, a look-out aperture of a subregion extendingout of the vehicle, and at least one prism body or deflection mirrorsdisposed in the housing.

A corner reflector for an armored vehicle, which is known from GermanUtility Model DE 20 2006 004 545 U1, includes a laser beam protectionfilter for protecting a vehicle driver against glare, in which thedriver is located in the vehicle interior and is looking to the outsideby way of the corner reflector.

The disadvantage of such a known corner reflector is that it does notprotect the vehicle equipped therewith against sources ofelectromagnetic interference from an attacker, and therefore the vehicleitself or the individual electronic components thereof can becomedamaged or destroyed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a cornerreflector for an armored vehicle, which overcomes thehereinafore-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices ofthis general type and which offers effective shielding against sourcesof electromagnetic interference, thereby ensuring that vehicles equippedtherewith, or individual electronic components thereof, cannot beinfluenced or rendered unusable by sources of electromagneticinterference.

With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, inaccordance with the invention, a corner reflector for an armoredvehicle. The corner reflector comprises a housing having a look-inaperture at a subregion extending into a vehicle interior, a look-outaperture at a subregion extending out of the vehicle, and at least oneprism body or deflection mirrors disposed in the housing. A whole-areashield made of electrically conductive material protects the vehicle orelectronic components of the vehicle against damage or interference bysources of electromagnetic interference.

It is thereby achieved that sources of electromagnetic interferencecannot penetrate the vehicle shell into the armored vehicle, therebyensuring, in particular, that the function of electronic componentscannot become impaired by such sources of interference from an attacker.

In accordance with another advantageous feature of the invention, theelectrically conductive material is disposed either in front of thelook-in aperture on the subregion directed toward the vehicle interior,or in front of the look-out aperture on the subregion extending out ofthe vehicle, or in the beam path of the corner reflector, approximatelybetween two separate prism blocks, thereby making it possible to selectan optimal position of the shield. One embodiment including a shielddisposed in front of the look-out aperture protects electroniccomponents of the corner reflector itself, such as electronic displays,the views of which are reflected into the viewing side.

In accordance with a further advantageous feature of the invention, thecorner reflector can be furthermore equipped with a plurality ofidentical or different electromagnetic shields in order to furtherimprove the shielding effect thereof.

In accordance with a preferred feature of the invention, the shield ofthe housing is constructed as a netting, which is also known as a meshfabric or fabric netting, made of superfine, conductive fibers, each ofwhich can be made of a metallic wire that can have a thickness of only20 to 80 μm, wherein the netting has between 25 and 250, in particular50 openings per inch, or 10 to 100, in particular 20 openings per cm,and therefore light transmission of more than 85% is retained, but ashielding attenuation of 100 bis 37 db is achieved in a frequency rangeof 1 MHz to 10 GHz. The shielding attenuation can also be adapted toknown sources of electromagnetic interference by varying the wirethicknesses and/or the number of openings.

In accordance with an added, preferable feature of the invention, inorder to protect the extremely fine netting, it is pressed between twopanes in a composite pane, wherein the panes of the composite pane canbe made of glass or plastic, and the netting is either embedded in amelt foil or is hot-pressed between two plastic panes.

In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, in order toproduce secure contact of the netting to the housing of the cornerreflector, the netting extends circumferentially beyond the edge of thecomposite pane by way of an edge constructed as a contact edge, andtherefore the contact edge has circumferential contact with a conductiveframe of the housing, which itself has conductive contact surface withthe housing of the corner reflector which itself also establishes aconductive connection to the vehicle shell by way of a conductive seal,thereby ensuring that only the defined openings in the netting influencethe whole-area protection of the vehicle shell.

In accordance with a second important embodiment of the corner reflectoraccording to the invention, a pane is equipped with a transparent,electrically conductive coating in the region of the look-in aperture,which itself has electrically conductive contact with the vehicle shellby way of the housing of the corner reflector and a conductive seal,thereby sealing the outer shell of the vehicle entirely againstpenetrating electromagnetic interference radiation.

In accordance with yet another feature of the invention, the coating canpreferably include an indium-tin-oxide layer or so-called ITO coating.

In accordance with yet a further feature of the invention, a seal madeof silicone with nickel graphite, which permanently withstands allfeasible temperature influences and other environmental influences withgreat endurance, is used preferably as the conductive seal in this case.

In accordance with yet an added feature of the invention, the surface ofthe subregion of the housing extending into the interior of an armoredvehicle, and/or the surface of the subregion of the housing extendingout of the vehicle, is furthermore advantageously equipped with anelectrically conductive coating, in such a way that the surfaces of thehousing are chromated to improve conductance.

In accordance with an advantageous, concomitant feature of theinvention, a further possible variation of the corner reflector providesthat if shields are provided in front of the look-in aperture and/or infront of the look-out aperture and/or in the beam path of the cornerreflector, they can be different shields, such as netting havingdifferent attenuation or different transparent, electrically conductivecoatings, or a combination of such netting and coatings.

Other features which are considered as characteristic for the inventionare set forth in the appended claims.

Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodiedin a corner reflector for an armored vehicle, it is nevertheless notintended to be limited to the details shown, since various modificationsand structural changes may be made therein without departing from thespirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents ofthe claims.

The construction and method of operation of the invention, however,together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be bestunderstood from the following description of specific embodiments whenread in connection with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, diagrammatic, side-elevational view of a firstembodiment of a corner reflector;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary, left-side elevational view of a cornerreflector including a netting in front of a look-in aperture thereof;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary, right-side elevational view of a cornerreflector including an electrically conductive coating of a pane of thelook-in aperture thereof;

FIG. 4 is a partly broken-away, side-elevational view of a secondembodiment of a corner reflector including a netting in front of alook-out aperture thereof and in a beam path;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary, left-side elevational view of a cornerreflector including a netting in front of the look-out aperture thereof;and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary, right-side elevational view of a cornerreflector including an electrically conductive coating of a pane infront of the look-out aperture thereof.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Referring now in detail to the figures of the drawings as a whole, thereare seen respective first and second embodiments of a corner reflector1;21 of an armored vehicle, including a housing 2;22 having a look-inaperture 3 of a subregion extending into a vehicle interior 6, alook-out aperture 4 of a subregion extending out of the vehicle and aprism body 5;15 disposed in the housing 2;22. A subregion of the cornerreflector 1;21 extending out of the vehicle penetrates a vehicle shell13 and is sealed by way of a conductive seal 12 which is made ofsilicone with nickel graphite, for instance.

As is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the first embodiment includes a netting 8made of superfine conductive fibers which is disposed in front of thelook-in aperture 3 of the corner reflector 1. The fibers are formed ofthin metallic wire and have a thickness of approximately 20 to 80 μm.FIGS. 4 and 5 show that the second embodiment has such a netting 8 infront of the look-out aperture 4 of the corner reflector 21.

A defined number of openings is provided between the fine wires of thenetting 8 to permit light to pass through the netting 8. In this case,approximately 25 to 250, in particular 50, openings per inch can beprovided, which corresponds to 10 to 100, in particular 20, openings percm. Therefore, light transmission greater than 85% is possible, therebypermitting a shielding attenuation of 10 to 37 db in a frequency rangeof 1 MHz to 10 GHz to be achieved.

The netting 8 is pressed between two panes to form a composite pane 9.Therefore, in particular when the panes are made of glass, the netting 8is embedded in a melt foil. Alternatively, in the case of pure plasticpanes, the netting is embedded and hot-pressed between two plasticpanes.

The netting 8 extends circumferentially beyond the edge of the compositepanes 9 and thereby forms a contact edge which is integrated by way ofcircumferential contact with a conductive frame 10 which itself has aconductive contact surface 11 with the housing 2;22 of the cornerreflector 1;21.

As is shown in FIGS. 3 and 6, another embodiment of the corner reflector1;21 according to the invention is provided with a pane 19 in the regionof the look-in aperture 3 of the housing 1 or in the region of thelook-out aperture 4 of the housing 22. The pane 19 is equipped with atransparent, electrically conductive coating 18 which likewise hasconductive electric contact with the vehicle shell 13 by way of thehousing 2;22 of the corner reflector 1;21 and a conductive seal 12. Thetransparent, electrically conductive coating 18 is formed by anindium-tin oxide layer (ITO coating) in this case.

As is shown in FIG. 4, the shielding can also be disposed in the beampath of the corner reflector (1; 21), approximately between two separateprism bodies or blocks (15), and can be formed either by a netting 8 oran electrically conductive, transparent coating 18, each havingelectrical contact with the housing 2;22 and the vehicle shell 13.

A surface 7 of the subregion of the housing 2;22 extending into theinterior is likewise coated with an electrically conductive coating, inwhich the surfaces 7 of the housing 2;22 are chromated to improveconductance.

The invention claimed is:
 1. A corner reflector for an armored vehicle,the corner reflector comprising: a housing having a look-in aperture ata subregion extending into a vehicle interior, a look-out aperture at asubregion extending out of the vehicle, and at least one prism body ordeflection mirrors disposed in said housing; a conductive seal formed ofsilicone with nickel graphite; a corner reflector beam path; a panedisposed at least one of in a region in front of said look-in apertureor in a region in front of said look-out aperture or in said cornerreflector beam path; and a shield made of electrically conductivematerial for protecting the vehicle or electronic components of thevehicle against damage or interference by sources of electromagneticinterference, said shield being formed of a transparent, electricallyconductive coating applied to said pane, and said coating makingelectrically conductive contact with a vehicle shell by way of saidhousing and said conductive seal.
 2. The corner reflector according toclaim 1, wherein said shield is one of a plurality of identical ordifferent electromagnetic shields.
 3. The corner reflector according toclaim 1, wherein said pane is made of glass or plastic.
 4. The cornerreflector according to claim 1, wherein said coating is an indium-tinoxide or ITO coating.
 5. A corner reflector for an armored vehicle, thecorner reflector comprising: a housing having a look-in aperture at asubregion extending into a vehicle interior, a look-out aperture at asubregion extending out of the vehicle, and at least one prism body ordeflection mirrors disposed in said housing; a conductive seal; a cornerreflector beam path; a pane disposed at least one of in a region infront of said look-in aperture or in a region in front of said look-outaperture or in said corner reflector beam path; a shield made ofelectrically conductive material for protecting the vehicle orelectronic components of the vehicle against damage or interference bysources of electromagnetic interference, said shield being formed of atransparent, electrically conductive coating applied to said pane, andsaid coating making electrically conductive contact with a vehicle shellby way of said housing and said conductive seal; and an electricallyconductive coating disposed on at least one of a surface of saidsubregion of said housing extending into the vehicle interior or asurface of said subregion of said housing extending out of the vehicle;said electrically conductive coating on said surface of at least one ofsaid subregions of said housing being a chromated coating for improvingconductance.
 6. The corner reflector according to claim 5, wherein saidshield is one of a plurality of identical or different electromagneticshields.
 7. The corner reflector according to claim 5, wherein said paneis made of glass or plastic.
 8. The corner reflector according to claim5, wherein said coating is an indium-tin oxide or ITO coating.